Consider all options when selecting a job
Looking for a job post-graduation is scary. It’s like choosing which weapon to carry with you in the case of a zombie apocalypse.
Pardon the overused zombie-phenomena metaphors, but it really is.
In terms of zombie-slaying weaponry — the job you choose can either be a gun or a sword.
On one hand, a job needs to keep up with your extravagant twenty-something lifestyle — it pays for beer and you and your roommate’s Netflix subscription — while handling the flood of loan, rent and other monthly payments barreling your way.
These kind of jobs are guns. They do well to provide you with the stability and safety you need, but inevitably, “bullets” run out and they must either be replaced or cast aside entirely.
On the other hand, an out-of-college job should be a stepping-stone in a career that fulfills your intellectual needs and continually pushes your skill-set, demanding the very best from you.
These jobs are swords. They are hard to come by, and require constant sharpening to stay useful. Swords may not rack up the most zombie kills — but they are long-lasting.
Both types of jobs do well to provide their own set of benefits, and both have their downfalls. It is up to the job seeker to decide which weapon to suit up with when heading into this zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic world of seniors set to graduate in May.
Picture yourself first with the “gun” job. The first few days are great. Every once in awhile, a zombie comes along, you shoot it and move on — strolling through the countryside with ease. However, it’s been a week now and that magazine is running thin, so what do you do now?
In the workplace, you may be enjoying the opportunities this job offers, and the pay is allowing you to handle your finances without worry — but the work bores you — and after a year, you don’t think you see yourself coming to work day-in and day-out for much longer. You love the comforts of your “gun” job, but you yearn for something more fulfilling — something that lasts.
So, you have the same choice to make again — do you find the strength to find more bullets or another gun, or do you look for a weapon with more lasting-power?
Picture yourself now with a “sword” job. You may not be killing those zombies with the same ease you experienced with the gun — but after weeks you still have that trusty sword by your side — confident in its abilities to keep you alive with the little extra work it takes to swing.
The job may be more work, and the payoff may not be as swift, but the job is something you enjoy — it pushes you and it rewards you.
These sorts of scenarios may be a little irrational to be dwelling on when searching for a post-graduate job — but they are factors that all eligible employees need to recognize.
Never sell your abilities short and don’t be too quick to take the job with the highest pay. Instead, do something you love where you find yourself swinging the sword with ease.
That’s easier said than done when scavenging through the arsenals known as job listings — but it’s something to keep in mind during these exciting times.
